Minnesota Vikings stadium bill facing delays - NFL News
The Minnesota Vikings stadium bill is no closer to approval as lawmakers continue to debate on the feasibility of providing approximately $ 400 million in subsidy to the franchise.
The bill which picked up steam earlier in the week after a house committee voted to approve the measure has now slowed down once again as a hearing is scheduled with the Senate’s Taxes Committee.
Republican representatives on Thursday suggested that the bill which provides for funding the stadium through an expansion of gambling be replaced by one which increases taxes on those who will use the stadium’s facilities.
The lawmakers headed by Republican Mike Benson said that his party’s manifesto does not support gambling increases and he would like for a new tax on Vikings players and executives while also applying a sales tax on all merchandise and other items sold at
the new stadium.
"It's in our Republican Party platform that we don't support expansion of gambling,"
Senator David Hann also supported increasing taxes rather than gambling which he said will target those who would actually use the stadium and not the people who might never visit it.
"If you're going to put an additional burden on people to pay for something like this, I think you have to look at the people who benefit from the use of it rather than others who may never show up at the stadium at all,"
The bill’s approval is also delayed as Chairwoman of the Taxes committee, Julianne Ortman has still not brought up the measure for debate and said she will first complete other more pressing issues which involve the committee.
"I wouldn't call it hostage taking," she said. "We hold hearings when we're ready to have hearings."
The delay in the bill will frustrate the Vikings franchise as they hope the Senate to complete all proceedings before the end of its current session.
Minnesota Vikings have lobbied for the construction of a new stadium for many years as they believe that revenues from their current home of the Metrodome are not enough.
The Vikings are already considering moving to another market most likely to be Los Angeles if the Minnesota lawmakers cannot provide them with a subsidy to develop the new $ 975 million stadium.
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